Category Archives: Pharisee Spirit

SEED, TIME AND HARVEST!

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MORNING GLORAAA

ETERNAL TRUTHS!

 

The Lord GOD which gathers the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others yo him, beside those that are gathered unto him.

All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yeah, all ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest. His watchmen are blind they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

Yea, they are greedy dogs, which can never have enough, and they are shephers that cannot understand, they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant! Isaiah 56:8-12

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returned not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring for and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater.

So shall my word be tat goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isaiah 56:11-12

 

Thoughout the history of humanity, there have been those who deliberatey misinterpret the Plan of God, presuming a sense of special status in their relationship with The Lord. Doing this makes it easier for them to disqualify others based on a variety of differences! BUT JESUS came to broaden the scope of His Elect to include the downcast, rejected, foreigners and those castrated by the restrictions of the pompous self-engrandized arrangance of those intoxicated on the wealth of this world! Jesus’ sacrificial atoning death and resurrection stands as an everlasting sign of GOD’S POWER, LOVE AND MERCY, bringing freedom, joy and peace to those who have borne the grief and sorrows of afflictions of decades of captivity and dejection.

While some leaders have drifted away from a real understanding of God’s Will for humanity, choosing to remain mute persuing the path of furthering their own private interest and agendas, resisting any effort to help the weak and confused they plan great things for themselves while focusing on sleeping and drinking. TRUTHBTOLD, the consequences of God’s Sovereign Justice is an invasion of beasts and terror of foreign nations!

TRUST2KNO, GOD IS NOT MOCKED! WHATSOEVER A MAN SOWETH, THAT SHALL HE RECEIVE. IN OTHER WORDS, DON’T GET IT TWISTED; YOU HARVEST WHAT YOU SOW!

SELAH!

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ETERNAL TRUTHS! #CARE2SHARE

THE PATH 2 GLORRAAA!

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THE PATH 2 GLORY

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 
James 4:7

 
Yep! Ain’t no getting around it, because it’s still The Eternal Word of God, huh? I’m talking about that pesty-provoking-pressure-on-our-pleasure, five letter word “pride”! As the ol’ skool preacher would say, ‘I jus lost ¾ of my church’! LOL!

Those of us who’ve been saved more than 25 years undoubtedly have seen subtle (and not so subtle) transitions taking place in the Christian Community!  I’m referring to the greater emphasis being levied on the side of accumulating creature comforts rather than developing Christian character.  #Don’tshoutmedownnah!

While, there’s no denying that our Heavenly Father delights in the prosperity of His children, He distinctly distinguishes His Prosperity Plan from the system of this world, by including ‘even as your soul prospers, huh? (Ref. 3 John 1:2)

Of course, we know that God’s Ways are not ours and we’re eternally grateful that His thoughts are not like our, huh? Yet, many a wandering wayfaring person has been drawn down to the altar, enticed by the lure of a prolific prophetic preacher, promising peace and prosperity. Although this message has elements of doctrinal truth, upon closer examination,  oftimes it can dilute the integrity of basic biblical foundation! Hence, leaving some believers with lop-side expectations and ill-prepared to walk out their journey of faith.

The New Millennium Church has adapted to The Burger King mentality that says, ‘If I can’t have it my way, then I’ll hit the highway’! While that attitude may work at a fast-food chain, it won’t get you off the run-way in the Kingdom of God. The last time I caught a breath, Jesus was still LORD! Therefore, He has the right to expect loyalty, faithfulness, commitment and obedience from those He created!

God knows that it’s difficult for flesh to be humble! That’s why HE put these flesh-killing scriptures in The Book! Yall know, flesh wants to set up its own kingdoms and not submit to anything or anyone. Flesh wants to dominate; to be in charge; have its own way; be right; be the best and not ever admit that ‘I’m wrong, not perfect, it’s my fault; I need help, forgiveness…or I don’t know what to do!

Flesh wants folk to come to us; look up to us; be admired and yes even envied! Flesh wants to be first in line following the Apostle, Bishop and the Pastors. Flesh wants to sit on the front row so it can be noticed—to go higher, IN THE LORD, of course!

We like to quote the scripture, ‘resist the devil and he’ll flee from you’, right? However, more often than not, we leave out the first part, ‘submit yourself to GOD...and then you’ll have the power to resist the devil’! OMG, does it really say dat? Indeed! In the Kingdom, the way up is down!

God says, ‘humble yourself’—BUT–IF YOU CAN’T, HE WILL HELP YOU! Chances are He’ll raise up a devil, a situation, a problem, a need, a national threat, a global economic collapse! Sometimes, He’ll allow trouble to come knocking at your front door, your church, job, wallet to get your attention long enough for you to humble yourself and have to pray! God knows that as long as we’re living high-on-the-hog, we’re prone to spiritual amnesia and assume that He’s okay playing second fiddle! NOT!

The Kingdom of Heaven has it’s own stimulus plan and it ain’t about to change! The strength and power of God’s Covenant relationship with His people is based on both  parties involved doing what they’ve sworn to do. The position of GOD is permanently filling space and time! Remember, HE IS GOD & U R NOT!

It’s a highway to Heaven, however you’ve got to be willing to take the low road 2 get there! As we yield our ENTIRE lives to GOD’ S WILL, WE SHALL REAP THE KING’S ETERNAL REWARDS! #FAITHFUL OBEDIENT GRATITUDE  #DIDJAHEARDAT? YEP! THAT’S THE PATH TO GLORAAAA!

 

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

WHATZ N YOUR HEART?

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WHAT'S IN UR HEART

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Deuteronomy 8:2-3 ESV

 

We’ve all been there! At some point in this journey, we’ve found ourselves, barraged by seemingly insurmountable odds stacked against us, huh? There I was, sitting there unsuccessfuly attempting to make a 911 connection to The Throne Room. This one, was a time sensitive—not later—but I need YOU right nah—Lord situation! As my eyes skimmed over to my laptop and I realized that somehow it was in the middle of running an unscheduled scan! Immediately, I understood what the Holy Spirit was trying to do in me.

Remember when you thought you knew, but didn’t really know? Exactly! It’s during these moments of mental confusions and conflicting emotions that we need the aid of Holy Spirit. According to Isaiah 11:2, no one but The Spirit of Truth and Wisdom, can scan the the inner most chambers of the human heart, assess the situation, identify the dangerous infectious viral components, quarantine and eliminate them before they’re able to contaminate our heart’s drive! WOW, and He was doing this way before Bill Gates or Steve Job! Awemaazing, huh? 

With that being said, once again I had to admit that before I could make a right connection with Jesus, I had to clear the line! No, God was not saying that my issue was not valid, but that there was an even more life-threating situation that demanded immediate attention. There was something crucial going on in my heart that I was not willing to confront and deal with at the root! Sometimes we do that, you know? We like to justify our rebellion by playing the blame game. “Lord, if they hadn’t….then I never would’ve …” But God wasn’t buying none of that!

There’s no denying that there’s something embedded in the DNA of humanity that resists repentance.  C’mon, don’t shout me down nah! #ijs!!!

It’s difficult for us to acknowledge that we’re at fault. It’s a whole lot easier for us to judge others by their actions and ourselves by our good intentions, huh? But God is not intimidated by our self-deceiving, willful, prideful hearts NOR IS HE IMPRESSED BY OUR CHURCH TESTIMONIES!

God strategically sets up unscheduled heart scans to illuminate potentially critial viruses that left untreated could result in the hardening of the arteries causing damaging blockages. For instance, that spirit of jealosy, envy, anger, resentment, bitterness and yessss the unforgiveness haboring in the crevices of your heart against someone, who probably doesn’t even know it! You know how fake the saints can be sometimes. Problem is, chances are before the end of the day, you’ll probably gonna need somebody to forgive you for something! The scripture is clear on this, if you don’t forgive others, neither will Your Heavenly Father forgive you your faults! (Ref. Matthew 6:15) OMG! Kinda sheds a different light on it, huh?

Beloved, I don’t know about you, but I NEED THE MERCY AND GRACE OF GOD, ALL DAY…EVERY DAY! Don’t look at me with that tone of voice, Y’all know I ain’t by myself!

I know it’s not always easy, especially when you’re the one who’s been hurt. But considering the repercussions, sounds to me like, by GOD’S Grace, whatever the offense, we just need to release it, drop it, leave it and let God handle it! God always knows everything about everything –and we don’t!

SO, WHAT’S REALLY IN YOUR HEART? #GOD REALLY KNOWS!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

THURSDAYS’ PRAYERS!

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prayn-and-fasting-pic

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

GOOD MORNING CHILDREN OF THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD! GOTTA MOMENT? AWEMAAZIN!

Once again we come together for our Weekly Thursdays Corporate Prayer and Fasting! We count it an honor and privilege to entreat The Majestic Throne of The Maker and Sustainer of Life, seeking Supernatural Mercy, Grace, Counsel, Hope and Help, that God has allotted to any who place our personal trust in The Salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ, to overcome the cumbersome cares of this world! Shall we enter into His Presence with Joy-filled Thanksgiving?

WE WORSHIP YOU, ALMIGHTY GOD! THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU! WE WORSHIP YOU, O PRINCE OF PEACE! THAT IS WHAT WE LONG TO DO! WE GIVE YOU PRAISE, FOR LORD YOU ARE OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS! WE WORSHIP YOU, ALMIGHTY GOD, THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU! THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU! THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU…

 
ABBA FATHER, as we come before You today, In the Magnificent, All Powerful Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus, we’re determined to rejoice, praise and thank You for blessing us to see the last month of 2018! Looking back, we know that it was no goodness of our own but solely because of Your Loyal Love, You havebrought us all the way to this very moment. Through dangers seen and unseen, Thou has kept us safe from all hurt and harm! We bow before You now humbled by Your Benevolence to say Thank You, Father for one more day to enjoy the abundance of Your Mercy, Your Grace, Your Power and Your Peace!

Father, we come  blessing You for the day that You opened our hearts enabling us to recognize and receive the saving Grace in the Life, Death, Burial and Resurrection of Your Son, Jesus! We acknowledge that because it pleased You, You choose us to be Your very own children, while there was absolutely nothing in us lovable nor worthy of this amazing honor and privilege!

Lord Jesus, we are eternally grateful that You purposed in Your Heart and and committed Your Being to be The Only Acceptable Atoning Sacrifice to redeem and reconcile our sin-sick souls from Sin, securing our Salvation, Deliverance, Breakthrough, Peace and Provision. We’re eternally thankful that You, knowing our frame, overcome by Compassion for us, You are willing to look beyond our human frailties, faults, flaws and iniquities, seeing yet ministering to every one of our need!

Once, again, Heavenly Father, we ask that You forgive us for every deed, word, thought that we’ve committed willfully and unwillfully that violated The Righteous Statues that You have commanded for our lives. We’re trusting that even when our own hearts condemn us, because Your Faithfulness is greater than our hearts, as we confess our sins to You, You forgive us, cleanse us in The Precious Blood of Jesus and reconcile us to our rightful position in The Kingdom of our Heavenly Father!

Precious Lord, because no man can come to the Father except You draw them, we ask that as Your Eyes continue to search the hearts of mankind, that You shall draw and save the lost, reclaim every back-slider, prick every heart with a Spirit of Godly-Repentance that frees them to confess a ‘SINCERE AND COMMITTED YES LORD,  and direct their footsteps to a local church home today where they will be greeted, embraced, welcomed in Love by genuine Sisters and Brothers in Christ and taught Your Word that they may live out the remainder of their lives, glorifying You to a lost and dying world! Today, we’re stand agreeing and believing that all of our unsaved loved ones and friends will be saved in the year 2019 and join our Eternal Family!
Father, we pray that You will remember our brothers and sisters whose spirits, minds and bodies have been afflicted by all manner of sickness and disease! Because nothing is impossible to You, we believe that You are healing and delivering from The Spirit Cancer, high/low blood pressure, heart and blood disease, kidney, lung failure, hearing and vision disorders, satanically induced depression, oppression, anxiety, torment, drug addictions, Alzheimer, Dementia, Autism, Spirits of perversions and ungodly soul ties and we call forth total permanent deliverance from every physical, emotional, sexual and spiritual abuse! We believe that as we’re praying, You are rebuking every generational curse, casting down strongholds and commanding immediate release of every trace of sickness and disease from the root, for Your Name Sake! Lord, we’re standing on Your Promise that by Your stripes we have been redeemed and healed and the prayer of faith shall save the sick and raise them up, In Jesus Name, AMEN 3X!

Precious Lord, as You sit Enthroned above the circle of the Earth, nothing happens that takes You by surprise. Because we’re living in the last of the last day, our enemies have stepped up their attacks upon Your Elect. Therefore, we lift up every believer who is yet struggling to hold on to Your Hand, and by faith today, we declare and decree that You are interceding on our behalf, releasing a Double Portion of Your Divine Power, Supernatural Strength, Health, Provision, Prosperity, Peace and Protection. We thank You for empowering and preserving each of us through the tests that You allow, keep us constantly aware of Your Presence, fully confident that the expiration date for our tests, trials, temptations and traumatic episodes have been pre-ordained before we were born into the earth.

Therefore as instructed, teach us to glory in the midst of tribulation, acknowledging that the trying of our faith works patience and perseverance, proving Your Power to sustain and overcome every weapon that’s formed against us, turning our situations around to work in our favor and exalting Your Name to the nations!

Sweet Holy Spirit, Father, thank You for listening to the hearts of all those who are distraught by grief and fear, remember the elderly, the widows, the downcast who have borne the heat of the day, those who pushed and prayed us through! Father, give them sweet peace that our God is not unrighteous to forget or overlook the labor and love they’ve shown towards Your Name and how they have and continue to minister to the saints! Father we decree that every demonic-induced spirit of fear and confusion is defeated NOW because of Your Anointing and that the Spirit of Love, Power and Sound-mindness and Purpose is being released in the lives of Your people now, in Jesus Name!

Precious Lord, remember the children, our grands and great-grand children! By faith we plead THE BLOOD OF JESUS over their lives, covering them wherever they go! We abort, overrule every curse, cancel every scheme and plot that Satan desires to inflict upon their lives! As we commit them into Your Providential care, we remember how generous You were and continue to be in dispensing Grace and Mercy towards us! Realizing that You have a Plan and Purpose for their lives also, today, we resist fear and worry and through faith and patience, we walk in the Blessed Assurance that their steps and stops are being Divinely orchestrated by Your Eyes! We speak The Peace of God over their spirits, minds, souls and bodies releasing a spirit of Love, Holiness and Excellence to fulfill their God ordained destiny!
Abba, we lift up every Bishop, Pastor, Overseer, Apostle, Evangelist, Preacher and Teacher. Undergird them with Your Anointing to carry out their assignment, under the direction of Holy Spirit. Encourage and strengthen their hearts, souls and spirits as they endeavor to reach, teach, preach, guide, guard and comfort those whom You’ve charged them to minister to. Lord You know how discouraging it can be when oftentimes they seem to turn a deaf ear to Your Word! Cover them as they go in and out amongst Your people and those who would seek to discredit, hinder and even destroy their faith, faithfulness and the ministry You have ordained.

Heavenly Father, as You have taught us, we pray for the leaders of our nation, political, corporate, judicial, education, financial, healthcare, military, public service, entertainment institutions and every other institution of our nations! We’re asking that You touch their minds and hearts, speak to them in dreams and visions letting them know that You Who Sit Enthroned Above the Heavens are keeping record of the deeds of every man’s heart and will reward accordingly! We believe that because their hearts are in Your Hands, they are being continuously opened to hear and obey Your Will! Lord Jesus, we’re standing on Your Word as decreed that The government of this world shall rest upon Your shoulders and that You are The Eternal King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Holy Father, we pray for total deliverance from every cord that would bind Your people and come against our Divine Destiny! We rebuke the demonic enemies of our minds and Thankya that nothing can stop the blessings or us from performing the greater works You have assigned to the covenant saints! Strengthen and renew the covenant of faith! We thankya for the courage and patience to stand, steadfast, consistent, always abounding in the work of our Lord!

Holy Father, there are so many other things, that we have yet to mention, nevertheless, we’re trusting, believing You WILL FIX IT, LORD JESUS, as only You can! We know that You are not just able, but willing to do anything that we ask, in accordance to Your Word!! As we continue thanking You throughout this day, Father, TRUST2KNOW, we’re depending on Your Joy to strengthen us for whatever lies ahead, we shall give You all the Praise, in Jesus Name, AMEN 3X!

In closing, we seal this prayer, with a Holy Hallelujah! Father; we wait in confidence and quietness, rejoicing in hope. trusting wholly that all workers of iniquity are trembling and suddenly departing in shameful defeat, because You have heard the voice of our weeping, our supplications and received our prayer as a sweet savor coming up before Your Sovereign Throne of Grace and Mercy! We pray that the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in Your Sight!

Father, we thank You NOW, for WE believe that according to Your Purpose and Timing, it is done! In The Exalted Name of Jesus. Amen 3X

Now every child of God who is standing in agreement with this prayer, GO TELL SOMEBODY JESUS IS REAL AND HE’S COMING BACK SOON!

SELAH!
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SHOUT-OUT!

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SHOUT-OUT!

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to Me.” Acts 18:9-10
Several years ago, The Grand Ole’ Church of God in Christ, came out with a slogan, guess what? Exactly! ‘I won’t be silent anymore!’  I wonder why I haven’t heard that one in a while! Especially in light of all the other voices that are bellowing out all kinds of crazy comments! #wink #wink!  Yall don’t mind granting a senior sista a few moments of folly, do you? AWESOME!

Have you noticed that every one and their cuzzins have come out of the colloquial closets, declaring and decreeing their rights. WOW! But where are the Saints? What’s the matter Zion? Perhaps, it’s got more to do with frustration and disenfranchisement than fear, huh? Them ol’ skool churrch Mothers were right! We’re living in times that will definitely try men’s souls. Seems as if everybody’s got rights…BUT THE CHURCH!

I ain’t scurred! Why are we the brunt of  such vicious accusations and slander, if we dare to uphold the moral standards clearly defined in The Word of God?  What happened to our freedom of speech rights? Why are we subjected to blatant mockery and defamation of character when we defend our Declaration of Dependance on The True and Living Creator of The Universe? #ijs The way things are going in America, we don’t know how much longer we’ll be able to freely speak-up for Jesus and not be martyred!

Last time I checked, The Holy Bible still says that there’d come a time when the people of God would be forced to make an individual conscientious decision, for Jesus I live, for Jesus I die! Well? Churrch, do we really believe The Word of God or are we pretending to fit in to get in?  Have we forgotten that the Ol’ Ship of Zion is not a cruiseliner but a battleship?  

It’s time to show this dark and dying world whatcha working with! Ain’t no where to run and no where to hide. The stage is set and the rubber is treading  the road. Timeout for playing church and teetering on the edge of the fence! You know what I mean;  “How close can you get to the world and still make it to Heaven?”  Baby, Either you’re all in THIS….OR UR OUTSIDE OF THE ARK! 

I still believe that the safest place in the whole wide world, IS IN THE WILL OF GOD!

Now, that’s just my two cents…do U, Boo!  BUT AS THE OL’ CHURRCH PREACHA USED TO SAY…AS 4 ME AND MY HOUSE….WE SHALL SERVE THE LORD!

TRUST2KNO! #SILENCEAIN’TBLISS! #datzmystoryugottaluvmehuh!  #NLOL #SPEAK-UP #SHOUT-OUT!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

U HARVEST WHAT U PLANT!

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U HARVEST WHAT U PLANT 2. 2018

SELAH Daily Devotions!

Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Now, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Yes, show her all her abominations! 3Then say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “The city sheds blood in her own midst, that her time may come; and she makes idols within herself to defile herself. 4You have become guilty by the blood which you have shed, and have defiled yourself with the idols which you have made. You have caused your days to draw near, and have come to the end of your years; therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all countries. 5Those near and those far from you will mock you as infamous and Ezekiel 22:1-5

In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take usury and increase; you have made profit from your neighbors by extortion, and have forgotten Me,” says the Lord God. full of tumult. Ezekiel 22:23

Can your heart endure, or can your hands remain strong, in the days when I shall deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and will do it. 15 I will scatter you among the nations, disperse you throughout the countries, and remove your filthiness completely from you. 16You shall defile yourself in the sight of the nations; then you shall know that I am the Lord.”’” Ezekiel 22:12, 14-16

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:7-10

 

While, a lot of us readily agree that the most prominent characteristic of The Creator of Life is Love! However, there is that other part of GOD that we prefer to deny or attempt to IGNORE as being an EQUALLY intricate component of God’s Holiness…Justice! According to Ezekiel 22, God sends His servant, Ezekiel, to admonish the people of Jerusalem that their cantankerous sinfulness and unrelenting rejection of His Holy standard of Righteousness has provoked God to the end of Mercy! While this would break God’s heart to do so, they were about to personally experience the boiling point of frustrating The Grace of God and triggering the out pour of His anger…Wrath!

Ezekiel was tasked by God, The Righteous Judge, to inform God’s chosen of the list of charges indited against them. Jerusalem, once renowned as God’s Beautiful City of Peaceful Habitation, had now become infamously known as the Bloody City! Although Jerusalem’s sins were many, showing disregard for human life and leading to violence and death, their sinfulness didn’t exceed the bloodiness of the other pagan cities surrounding it! Yet, because they had the Word, prophets, and priests of God, they were justifiedly held to a much higher standard. However, like many of the 21st Century creme la crème have totally misinterpreted the purpose and intent of God’s blessings, assuming that somehow their physical attributes, heightened intellectual aptitude, financial wealth and elite social status entitles them to esteem themselves above everybody! Kinda reminds you of #45, huh? #SERIOUSLY!

God’s people erroneously believed that because God had claimed them as His own Holy Possession, they were exempt from adhering to His Commandments and excluded from Eternal judgment. They were absolutely convinced that they were IN LIKE FLYNN (or is it Flint)! In other words, we can do whatever we want, as long as we want to, and to whoever we want to… and there will be no consequences, after all God calls me, “MINE”! Besides that we got The Temple!

Over many generations, God had been graciously patient with their bullheadedness! However, after searching for someone to stand in the gap, interceding on their behalf, upholding The Righteousness of God to advert God’s judgment, yet finding not one who would commit to this lofty task, THEIR JIG WAS UP! Eventually, because of the wickedness of their own hearts, time ran out! As they continued to defile His Name with their importunate unfaithfulness, despising His Holy Things with gross idolatry, profaning The Sabbath and their blatant propensity to repulse God’s generous offer of repentance. As a result of their lack of obedience, rejecting His HOLY Code of moral ethics, lethargy for the disadvantaged and making a mockery of God before the gentile nations, FINALLY GOD said, “You Have Forgotten ME! That’s when God resolved to invoke The Sovereignty of HIS NAME!

God’s tactical reversal proved to His Beloved that there MUST be a difference between their own life or for the people they were called to serve! And while it’s extremely rare today to find ENOUGH circumstantial evidence to support it amongst the lifestyle of the saints and the sinner man, there IS A difference between the fate of the unclean and the clean!

God elected to remove the hedge of protection from around them and pour out His indignation upon them, He gathered them into a furnace of affliction! Ezekiel would warn all who rebel against God’s Will, violating the Law, would receive their just reward according to their own deeds! As silver is melted in the midst of a furnace, the fury of God’s anger would be a consuming fire, refining and purifying their hearts corrupted by the dross of fleshy carnal lust, leaving only that which will glorify God! In the midst of the fire of God’s Wrath, “Ye shall know that I the LORD HAS DONE THIS! Hence, demonstrating that if we insist on having our own way, we will be rewarded with the harvest we have planted!

Unless you were born late last night or arrived on planet Earth early this morning, you’ve probably heard some folk making excuses to deceive themselves and relieve the guilt and shame of habitual disobedience. At the same time, depending on whose presence they happen to be in at any particular time, they’ll put on a show! Don’t get it twisted, we’ve ALL BEEN THERE! And as the ol’ skool Preacha said, “You might fool some of the people, some of the time…BUT U CAN’T FOOL GOD…NONE OF THE TIME! Remember, GOD WILL NOT BE MOCKED! As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest…will not cease!

Every day that you wake up in the present, is seed time and the world to come (Eternity) is where we shall reap what we sow NOW!

When one forgets God and leaves his ways, the path into every kind of abomination opens before him.” (Alexander)

‘Cuse me, jus wondering? Does this whole scenario sound disturbingly familiar to EVERYDAY 2018 NEWS, OR IS IT JUST ME? I guess it’s true, huh? The more times change, the more we remain the same! I remember Grand Ma saying, ‘U NEED TO WEAR THIS OL’ WORLD LIKE LOOSE-FITTING OVERCOAT…AFTER ALL WE DIDN’T COME HERE TO STAY” #WOW! #IJS!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

 

NOT THERE YET!

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NOT THERE YET!

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward. Deuteronomy 2:3

 

It’s been a few years ago that Holy Spirit pricked my heart prompting me to ask this question, ‘ARE WE THER YET?’ I’m sure that it caused you to reminisce about the 2005 film starring Nick Persons (Ice Cube) Nia Long and Aleisha Allen!

Sadly, once again many of my fellow kinsmen in Christ find ourselves trapped in this dilemma (whether we’re willing to acknowledge it publicly or even privately)! What am I talking about, NOW? While it gladdens our hearts to acknowledge the tremendous strides that we, as a nation, have taken as it relates to establishing ethnic, gender and social equality in the land of the free, on the other hand, we’re yet haunted by the insidious pink elephant in the room, chanting “We ain’t where we used to be, but we sho ain’t where we ought to be!” Don’ lost half my church, again, huh?

Granted, it’s been the custom of many of our leaders to ascribe to the notion of ‘separation of state and church’, yet, there has been a subtle reformation amongst a few to sneak preach their opposition to those who have, in no uncertain terms, expressed their earnest and impassioned desires to repeal and replace the furtherance of political, legislative, economic, social and religious progressions of the more contemporized inclusive mind-sets of 21st Century millenniums with the more partisan-palatable-self-engrandising traditions of their ancestral culture. Oooh NO SHE DIDN’T! #uknowidid!

Quite honestly, the recent events of the past year and a half,  plainly affirm the vociferous premise, “We ain’t there yet”!  Down thru the years, those of us who have witnessed numerous infractions of the civil and domestic rights, defined by The U.S. Constitution, of every citizen of this nation, have been stupefied, shocked and yes terrified by the attitude and inexpiable restraint of those who consistently choose to ignore the obvious and supplant distractions in an effort to excuse the inexcusable activity that’s been perpetuated upon us DAILY, in live and in living HD coverage!

I must confess, personally,  it’s becoming increasingly difficult for the saved and sane, who sincerely endeavor to obediently follow after the heart of God, to fake stupid and go along just to get along! Some of us actually believed our Grandma and Maya Angelo, “If someone repeatedly shows you who they are, BELIEVE THEM!” #IJS!!!

Life has a way of teaching us two of the greatest deterrents to successfully reaching our goals: contentment and indulgence!  Again, I’m not trying to negate the credibility of The Apostle Paul’s revelation “Not that I speak in respect to want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content (Philippians 4:11) However, I AM simply reverberating the apparent, if we linger here too long, our contentment becomes a comfort zone that potentially diminishes our hope, dreams and drive for reaching better…there! GOD FORBID!

God promised to bring His Chosen people into their good land, flowing with milk and honey! But when they got so comfortable going around Mount Horeb that they were willing to settle for a piece of God’s Promise, this became unacceptable! When do we grow-up into a level of spiritual maturity that exemplifies God’s perspective of righteousness? Not only is partial obedience disobedience, but it also robs Him of the opportunity to fully express His Glory!

Beloved, it’s time out for pointing our fingers at them Israelites and not looking at our own lives to recognize how many times we’ve settled for less than God was offering! Yes, we are not called out to fight as the world, nevertheless, the weapons of our warfare are still mighty thru God! (Ref. 2 Chronicles 7:14) BUT! When we get thru praying that effectual fervent prayer of the righteous that availeth much, we get up and vote, show up at the city council, town hall, school board, PTA and home-owners association meetings!

I dare U shout on dat?

Please hear my heart, Precious One, God said, “It’s time to head northward! Shake the dust of compromise off your feet and getta steppin—FORWARD”!

Let’s lift up our heads! Remember, “…the race is not given to the swift neither to the strong, But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved”Matthew 24:13!

Nawh, we might not be there yet, BUT…GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN US THAN HE THAT’S IN THIS WORLD! Let the Spirit of Caleb rise up in you, exhale the spirit of doubt and fear and trust GOD 2 PREVAIL THRU UR FAITH AND FEET!

ARE YOU ‘THERE’ YET? SERIOUSLY?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

This is Ann Caffee and I pledge my allegiance to The Gospel!

 

LOST & FOUND

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lost-and-found

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. Luke 15:20-24
The Gospels record 35 times that Jesus uses parables as a teaching aid. Literally, a parable is a story “cast alongside” a truth in order to illustrate that truth. In today’s vernacular a parable is as an inspired comparisons, or simply put an earthly story with a heavenly meaning!

Unlike like so many 21st Century preachers,  Jesus wasn’t just trying to spice up the message to keep the crowds entertained. His parables had a two-fold purpose. First, to reveal the truth to those who wanted to know it and to conceal the truth from those who were indifferent! You see, Jesus already knew that everybody who followed Him didn’t do so for the same reason. People are still people, huh?

You do know that everybody who comes into the church building doesn’t come looking to know Jesus, right? Some come just for a ‘kidz-size happy meal and a prize’! While others, like the Pharisee and the scribes, only come to pick up a few stones to throw at Jesus. Notice how they accused Jesus, “Look at Him, This man receives sinners and eats with them.” Spiritually blinded by their preconceived biases, Jesus already knew that they would dismiss His parables as irrelevant nonsense.  Yet, there were also a few sincere seekers of Truth who would eventually receive insight and reap the benefit and comfort of His Words!

Anything that you respect and honor you will pursue! Perhaps, that’s why the Pharisees could not understand why Jesus cared about ‘tax collectors and sinners’. Yall know how you go off when you can’t find your keys or the remote control. You put out an all-points-bulletin and nobody in the house can get any relief until it’s found! When you really desire something with all of your heart, mind, spirit and soul, whatever it takes to get it, is worth it all!

The text says that The Shepherd is so excited that He’s found the sheep that He throws a party to celebrate the safe return and everyone around Him is rejoicing with Him! (Ref. Luke 15:6-7)  Imagine that! I know we don’t get excited when folk get saved anymore, huh? But that’s exactly what happened back-n-da-day!

The next story is about a woman who loses a coin and refusing to give up, she searches until nightfall. Desperately she’s turning every piece of furniture upside-down, looking between the cushions on the sofa, behind the refrigerator, until she found it. You can imagine the joy and the relief she experience when she found it! (Ref. Luke 15:8-9)

This chapter ends with a the more familiar parable of the Prodigal Son! Sometimes we can get so caught up in the drama of the son’s partaayin so hard until he ended up in the pigs pen, that we miss the intensity of The Father’s Love and Compassion for his lost child. This is a picture of The Heavenly Father’s response to those who have yet to accept the glorious gift of Salvation purchased by the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ! This is why God pursues sinners and why everyone of us should rejoice when a repented sinner returns to the sheepfold.

Recovering a lost sinner requires effort and patience! However, often times we develop an acute case of selective spiritual amnesia and forget what it took for us to get our testimony, huh? Do you know that most sinners have no idea that God is looking for them and even fewer believe that He loves them?  When you look at what Jesus gave up to save us, how should those of us, who call ourselves His disciples, be any less engaged in searching for the poor souls who have yet to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord! #ijs! No, it’s not always easy but  gratefully JESUS believed the reward  well worth the effort!

Shamefully, too many Believers still think that soul winning is the Pastors and Evangelist job! But that’s not what The Bible says! ‘And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation’ 2 Cor. 5:18

Jus wondering, what are you doing to bring the lost to Jesus? Are you content to enjoy the privileges of being saved? Is your heart burdened for those who are still lost? Are you willing to get up off the padded pew of do nothing and go into the field and hunt for those who are still outside of the house? (Ref. Matthew 9:37) If Jesus still associates with sinners, why don’t you? WOW! LOST & FOUND!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

EMPTY POTS

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EMPTY POT 2

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

“He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand? Isaiah 44:20

I can only imagine what’s going on in the mind and heart of Elohim gazing down the the portals of time from Eternity, seeing the massive gathering of Sunday Morning worshipers.

Look at us, over there we’re suited down in our St. Johns and over here in our Sean Johns. Got our weaves looking fresh jus like dat and our hair perfectly trimmed tight. Etienne Aigner shoes and our New York Yankees designer hats neatly tucked under the pews, just in case the person next to us gets a bit too unruly.

Once the policeman re-directed the traffic to turn left (because the parking lot was already filled to its capacity) finally, we’re glad to be seated in our favorite row. The stage is set! The sound-man gives the nod, the lighting is in sync with the Minister of Music and the Choreographer has gotten the attention of the Liturgical Dancers, we’re ready! Let’s Get It Done…BAMM!

Not so fast! I see ‘yall’, BUT where’s ‘The Glory’? Where are the God-Seekers? Who’s actually among us here to Honor HIM?

“What’s up with you asking us these kinds of questions? How could you miss HIM? Didn’t you see all those fine automobiles parked outside of this grandiose sanctuary? I bet if you tallied up the cost that was spent at the hair salons this week, you’d probably could buy a small nation. And you know the price for an authentic custom-tailored suit these days ain’t cheap, given inflation. Not to mention the small fortune the church puts out to fuel up our Pastor’s jet. You got some nerve asking about GOD! Obviously GOD has been good to us!”

Okay! Granted, you got a whole lot of stuff going on. You can afford to sit back on your laurels proudly contented and cozy, belly full and satisfied, enjoying the fruit of your successful accomplishments, and resting in the warm of your own fire. Man! that’s the life that God promised us or is it?

When was the last time you actually talked to The God you claim to belong to and serve? Did you even thank HIM for waking you up this morning, giving you the strength to get up (under your own volition) and the mind to brush your teeth with a toothbrush and not a hair brush? Have you really forgotten that there was a time when going to church on a Sunday morning never crossed you mind and the only cross you carried was dangling from your rear view mirror as a token protector for you and your property? Remember when the only word you read with any consistency was your horoscope?

Yeah, Buddy! What a life!

And you call those folk—who just can’t wait to get to Church, not just on Sunday mornings, but Bible Study, prayer meetings, whatever and whenever the doors of the church are open, they gotta be in The House, in fellowship with like-minded spirits after being amidst a bunch of God-Haters all week/day long, we who are desperate for the times of refreshment found only in the Presence of The Lord—out of touch with reality! REALLY?

Come, let’s reason this thing out together.

IS GOD BLESSED BY YOUR WORSHIP OR IS IT A STINCH IN HIS NOSTRILS?

EMPTY POTS, huh?

SELAH!

“Have a WONDER-FILLED day!”

Ann Caffee

 

SEASONED SALT

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SEASONED SALT

SELAH Daily Devotions!

“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. “ Matthew 5:13

WOW! Aren’t you glad that you’re saved, sanctified, living all you can to serve and please da Lord?

BUT! Before we go slappin’ 5 with our neighbors (or yourself) on the back, perhaps we need to take a closer look at today’s scripture text. Sometimes, WE—THE SAINTS—have a way of judging others by their actions BUT judging ourselves by our good intentions!

Whatchatalkinbout? It’s easy to make yourself come out smelling like a rose, as long as we’re comparing ourselves to one another! However, God never intended to make our own warped flesh the plumb-line for gauging His Righteousness!

Remember the story in the Bible of the Pharisee who went up to the Temple to pray, stood off by himself, looked across the room and seeing the tax collector, prayed “God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.” (Ref. Luke 18:9-14)

Have you ever noticed how God’s elect seem to develop a severe case of selective amnesia once they’ve been saved for any length of time! Perhaps that’s why The Apostle Paul left a not-so-friendly reminder to us. “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:11

Hence, “DON’T GET IT TWISTED…no matter how many right things you manage to do on a daily basis, at the end of your bestest day—every single one of us must acknowledge “that if it had not been for JESUS…where would I be.” (Ref. Romans 3:23) Truthfully, there ain’t none good but GOD!”

That’s why He sent Jesus! The Perfect role model for us to keep before us. Righteousness Personified! (Ref. John 3:16-17)

So the next time, you’re tempted to bask in your own self-righteousness, remember our frail-flawed-fickle human tendency to judge one another by outward appearances!  Precious one, check yourself ! And please recognize that God reads hearts! (Ref. 1 Samuel 16:7)

Jesus warned,  “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20
SO…BEFORE YOU START SENDING ANY POOR SOUL STRAIGHT TO HELL, BECAUSE THEY DON’T MEASURE UP TO YOUR STANDARDS, MIGHT I SUGGEST THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT OUR OWN SALT IS SEASONED WITH MERCY AND GRACE!

SELAH!

“Have a WONDER-FILLED day!”

 Ann Caffee